Discover the inspiring stories of women making their mark in the wine industry!
From winemakers to sommeliers, marketers to insurance specialists, our features showcase the diverse and talented women behind your favorite bottles.
Meet the chemist who created the framework and terminology used to describe wine by all consumers, students, and professionals today.
Known as the "Queen of Burgundy," Madame Lalou Bize-Leroy created some of the most sought after wineries in the world and ushered in an era of biodynamic farming.
"People often romanticize being in the wine business and admittedly, we had some of that going on. You learn very quickly that this is a hard business."
"The wine business isn't just a business, it's our lifestyle; we live and breathe it every day. It's what connects us to other people."
"I have fallen in love with Whitehall Lane and telling the story of one brand and family. Reaching the consumer on that level, where I feel more personally connected, has been exactly what I was seeking for my career."
"Being a part of that process makes you realize that this liquid we drink for our leisure has intention and hard work behind it. I had my hands on the grapes in your glass, I put work into that bottle of wine."
Meet the wine pioneer whose winemaking story began with the vengeful murder of her husband.
"There are thousands of different grape varieties out there to only be confined to only a handful. I’d say keep an open mind and don’t be afraid to explore outside your comfort zone. "
"There is something magical and grounding when you grow things...Everyone has space to grow something."
"The perks of running the wine program also include distributors inviting me to tastings. I have the opportunity to learn about and taste some premiere wines from around the world."
"Wine is a reflection of the time and place where the grapes were grown, the circumstances of the winemaker, and a bunch of other factors that get frozen in time when that bottle is corked."
"We need to focus on educating the consumer about organic production methods so they can push their retailers, who push their distributors, who then push the wineries and vineyards to grow grapes without Round-Up or harsh pesticide chemicals."
"I don’t think I ever would have connected how much wine truly comes from the vineyard until I saw grapes come in with part of the vineyard on them; including ants, dust, grape leaves, etc."
"Before I take that first sip of a wine that I am tasting for the first time, a little feeling of excitement always comes across me that I don’t think will ever go away."
"I would visit wine regions throughout the United States and never came across someone that looked like me – a Black Woman in the wine industry."
"At the end of the day, wine is beautiful and at its core pretty simple, but it's the people and the places and the earth that enable us to have this beautiful, beautiful juice from the land."
"For the sake of the wine industry and humanity itself, it's time for all business owners to step up if they haven't already and do whatever they can to find sustainable solutions."
"We’re not just closing the gender-gap, but adding our own take on a market that has been mostly dominated by male tastes and sensibilities."
"Democratizing wine is really important. Try wine from all over, talk to people about their wine."
"Wine is for everyone, and it's important to create an environment where all wine enthusiasts feel welcome and valued regardless of their background."
"We need folks to look to the future of the vineyards instead of looking at, What can the vineyard give me this year?"
"We started with the wine first and then built the menu around it…they’re so fun and we get to do great pairings."
"Making consistent, high quality, well scoring wine is easy. Selling wine is much harder."
"I don’t think there will be any wineries like Joseph Phelps in 10, 20 years because it's just too difficult."
"Wine is a living, breathing thing...The wine never stops changing because it's still technically alive."
"It's really about stepping off of that tasting sheet, off of that grid, and into the real world."
"If 70% of wine is purchased by women, then we should have that kind of representation on the shelf."
"Creating a tangible product that comes from the earth, and doing that alongside my dad, has been a dream I never knew I had."